It’s been a rough past couple of weeks for the New England Patriots as it has suffered back-to-back blowout losses with the offense putting up just three points through eight quarters of play.
Now with the team sitting at 1-4 with a road game against the Las Vegas Raiders approaching, some have wondered whether the team will make a switch at quarterback from Mac Jones.
Jones has not been the only issue for a Patriots offense that ranks last in pass protection and has not been able to run the ball effectively, but the former Alabama quarterback has turned the ball over six times in the past two weeks.
But will Jones be replaced for his poor play this week?
It doesn’t appear so, as offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien shared that he expects Jones to be the starter.
News story: Patriots OC Bill O'Brien expects QB Mac Jones to start Sunday vs. the Raiders. https://t.co/95gzLyYUxh
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 10, 2023
“It’s not about one guy,” O’Brien said to the media on Tuesday. “He’d be the first to tell you that there’s things that he has to do better, whether it’s obviously take care of the ball, maybe read the route better, or get us into a better play. But it’s a collective effort.”
Head coach Bill Belichick has echoed similar statements saying that the issues the team faces aren’t all on Jones. But whether it’s quarterback play, offensive line play, play calling, etc., Belichick believes something has to change in order for the team to get back on track.
Jones has received a great deal of criticism for his play, which has been warranted, but taking the bulk of the blame for team struggles is something he understands will happen and will need to overcome the outside factors.
“It’s not about one guy but as the quarterback you’re going to shoulder a lot of that. He understands that,” O’Brien said. “He’s working hard. He’s in here early. He was in here (Monday on the off day) thinking about things to do better. We’re ready to go for practice and try to dig ourselves out of it.”
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